HK1072093A1

HK1072093A1 - Continuously variable transmission

Info

Publication number: HK1072093A1
Application number: HK05104944.4A
Authority: HK
Inventors: 唐纳德．C．米勒; 戴维．J．艾伦
Original assignee: 福博科知识产权有限责任公司
Priority date: 2001-04-26
Filing date: 2002-04-25
Publication date: 2005-08-12
Also published as: AU2008200708B2; EP2261537A2; US7510499B2; US7175565B2; US7153233B2; US20080121486A1; CN101526133B; CA2722124C; US20050085337A1; US20050119092A1; CN101526133A; KR20040005938A; AU2008200709A1; KR100884972B1; US7175566B2; US7166057B2; DE60238755D1; US7166058B2; US20020173402A1; US20050085336A1

Abstract

A continuously variable transmission is disclosed for use in rotationally or linearly powered machines and vehicles. The transmission provides a simple manual shifting method for the user. Further, the practical commercialization of traction roller transmissions requires improvements in the reliability, ease of shifting, function and simplicity of the transmission. The present invention includes a continuously variable transmission that may be employed in connection with any type of machine that is in need of a transmission. For example, the transmission may be used in (i) a motorized vehicle such as an automobile, motorcycle, or watercraft, (ii) a non-motorized vehicle such as a bicycle, tricycle, scooter, exercise equipment or (iii) industrial equipment, such as a drill press, power generating equipment, or textile mill.

Description

Continuously variable transmission

Technical Field

The field of the invention relates generally to transmissions, and more specifically to continuously variable transmissions.

Background

The present invention relates to the field of continuously variable transmissions and includes several novel features and inventive aspects that advance and are superior to the prior art. In order to provide a continuously variable transmission, various traction roller transmissions have been developed in which power is transmitted between torque input and output discs via traction rollers supported in a housing. In such transmissions, the traction rollers are mounted in support structures which, when pivoted, engage the traction rollers in circular motions of different diameters with torque disks (torque disks) according to the required transmission ratio.

However, these conventional solutions have limitations. For example, in one solution, a drive hub for an automobile with a variable adjustable gear ratio is disclosed. The method teaches the use of two diaphragms (iris plates), one on each side of the traction rollers, so that the axis of rotation of each of these rollers is inclined. However, the use of spacers is very complicated due to the large number of parts required to adjust these spacers during shifting of the transmission. Another difficulty with this transmission is that it has a guide ring which is constructed to be primarily fixed relative to each roller. Since the guide ring is fixed, it is difficult to change the axis of rotation of each traction roller.

An improvement over this earlier design is a shaft about which the driving and driven members rotate. The driving member and the driven member are both mounted on the shaft and contact a plurality of power adjusters disposed radially and equidistantly about the shaft. The power adjusters are in frictional contact with the two members and transmit power from the driving member to the driven member. A support member concentrically disposed on the shaft and located between the power adjusters applies force to separate the power adjusters to enable frictional contact with the driving member and the driven member. A disadvantage of this arrangement is the lack of means for generating sufficient axial force to maintain sufficient frictional contact of the driving and driven members with the power modulator as the torque load on the transmission changes. Another disadvantage of this configuration is the high torque and very low speed conditions. And transmission disengagement and coasting capability are inadequate resulting in shifting difficulties.

Accordingly, there is a need for a continuously variable transmission having an improved power adjuster support and shift mechanism, means for applying appropriate axial thrust to the driving and driven members for different torques and power loads, and means for disengaging and reengaging the clutch for coasting.

Disclosure of Invention

These systems and methods have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope as expressed by the claims that follow, their more prominent features will now be described briefly. After studying this specification, and particularly after reading the section entitled "detailed description of preferred embodiments" one will understand how the features of these systems and methods achieve several advantages over conventional systems and methods.

In one aspect, a continuously variable transmission is disclosed having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of speed adjusters. Each speed governor having a tiltable axis of rotation disposed radially outward from a longitudinal axis, and each speed governor being disposed radially outward from the longitudinal axis; a drive disk that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a first point on each of the governors and has a first side facing the governors and a second side facing away from the governors; a driven disk that is circularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a second point on each governor; a generally cylindrical support member that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a third point on each of the governors; a support disk annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and adapted to provide a rotational force to the drive disk; at least two axial force generating devices located between the drive disk and the support disk, each axial force generating device configured to apply an axial force component to the drive disk, thereby improving contact of the drive disk with the speed governor; and a plurality of central ramps comprising a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps and providing torque to at least one of the at least two axial force generating devices.

In another aspect, in addition to the decoupling mechanism, a support disk that rotates annularly about a longitudinal axis is disclosed. The disengagement mechanism may be disposed between the support disk and the drive disk and adapted to disengage the drive disk from the speed governor.

In yet another aspect, an output disc or rotating hub is disclosed in addition to a support disc annularly rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the transmission. A support member is included that is also rotatable annularly about the longitudinal axis and is adapted to move toward either the more slowly rotating drive disk or the output disk.

In yet another aspect, a connection assembly having a hook is disclosed, wherein the hook is connected to either the driving disk or the support disk. And a latch connected to the drive plate or the support plate.

In a further aspect, a plurality of shafts having two ends is disclosed, wherein one shaft is disposed in a bore of each governor and a plurality of shaft supports having a platform end and a shaft end are provided. Each shaft support is in operative engagement with one of the two ends of one of the shafts. A plurality of axle bearing wheels is also provided, wherein at least one axle bearing wheel is provided for each axle support. An annular first and second stationary support members are included, each having a first side facing the speed adjusters and a second side facing away from the speed adjusters. Each of the first and second fixed supports has a concave surface on the first side, and the first fixed support is disposed adjacent to the driving disk and the second fixed support is disposed adjacent to the driven disk.

In addition, a continuously variable transmission is disclosed having a coil spring disposed between a support disk and a drive disk.

In yet another aspect, a transmission shift mechanism is disclosed that includes a lever; a worm member having a set of external threads; a shift tube having a set of internal threads, wherein rotation of the shift tube causes a change in gear ratio; a sleeve having a set of internal threads; and a split shaft having a threaded end.

In yet another aspect, a remote transmission shifter is disclosed that includes a twist-grip; a tether has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is engaged with the operating handle and the second end is engaged with the shift tube. The operating handle is adapted to apply a pulling force to the tether, which actuates the shift tube when the pulling force is applied.

These and other modifications to the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a cut-away side view of an embodiment of a transmission;

FIG. 2 is a partial end sectional view taken on line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a split shaft and two fixed supports of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional side view of the transmission of FIG. 1 shifted into low;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional side view of the transmission of FIG. 1 shifted to a high gear;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side view of a ramp bearing disposed between two curved ramps (ramps) of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a ramp bearing disposed between two curved ramps of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic side view of a ramp bearing disposed between two curved ramps of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a power regulator assembly of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a cut-away perspective view of a shift assembly of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a stationary support of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a screw and nut of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a frame support of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a center slide of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a peripheral race of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a connecting assembly of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a disconnect mechanism assembly of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the operating handle shifter of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternative embodiment of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional side view of another alternate embodiment of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the transmission of FIG. 20 showing a torsion brace;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an alternative disconnect mechanism of the transmission of FIG. 1;

FIG. 23 is another perspective view of the alternative detachment mechanism of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a component view of an alternative embodiment of the axial force generating device of the transmission of FIG. 20;

FIG. 25 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the splines and grooves of the axial force generating device of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an alternative disconnect mechanism of the transmission of FIG. 1;

fig. 27 is a perspective view of the alternative detachment mechanism of fig. 26.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements throughout. The terminology used in the description presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simply because it is being utilized in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the invention. In addition, embodiments of the invention may include several novel features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or which is essential to practicing the inventions herein described.

The transmission described herein is of the type that employs inclined axis variator balls as described in U.S. patent application No.09.695757 filed on 24/10/2000. The driving (input) disc and the driven (output) disc are in contact with the speed regulator ball. As the ball tilts on its axis, the rolling contact point on one disc moves toward the apex or axis of the ball, contacting the ball at a reduced diameter circumference, while the rolling contact point on the other disc moves toward the equator of the ball, thus contacting the discs at an increased diameter circumference. If the ball axles are tilted in opposite directions, the discs are inverted accordingly. Thus, simply tilting the governor ball shaft can vary the ratio of the rotational speed of the driving disk to the rotational speed of the driven disk, or the transmission ratio, over a wide range.

With reference to the longitudinal axis of the transmission embodiment, the drive and driven discs may be disposed radially outward from the governor balls, and an idler-type, generally cylindrical support member is disposed radially inward from the governor balls, such that each ball makes three-point contact with the inner support member and the outer disc. The driving disk, the driven disk and the support member are all rotatable about the same longitudinal axis. The driving and driven discs may be formed as simple circular discs or may be concave, convex, cylindrical or any other shape depending on the required configuration of the input and output. The rolling contact surface of the disc engaging governor balls can be flat, concave, convex or other shape depending on the torque applied and efficiency requirements.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a continuously variable transmission 100 is disclosed. The transmission 100 is housed in a hub 40 which functions as an output disc and is ideal for use in a variety of applications, including those in which a vehicle (e.g. a bicycle or motorcycle) has a transmission housed within a driven wheel. Hub 40 may be capped with a hub cap 67 in certain embodiments. There are a plurality of speed adjusters 1 in the center of the transmission 100, which may be spherical in shape and spaced more or less equally or symmetrically circumferentially about the centerline or axis of rotation of the transmission 100. In the embodiment shown, eight speed governors 1 are employed. However, it should be noted that more or fewer governors 1 may be used depending on the application of transmission 100. For example, the transmission may include 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or more governors. Providing more than 3, 4 or 5 governors may achieve certain advantages, including, for example, a wide distribution of forces exerted on each governor 1 and its point of contact with other components of the transmission 100. Certain embodiments in low torque-to-high ratio applications may use a small number of large governors 1, while certain embodiments in high torque-to-high ratio applications may use many large governors 1. Other embodiments in high torque ratio low applications may use many small governors 1. Finally, certain embodiments in applications where torque is low and gear ratios are also low may use a small number of small governors 1.

A shaft 3 is inserted through a hole in the center of each governor 1 to define the rotational axis of each governor 1. The shaft 3 is typically an elongate shaft about which the governor 1 rotates, the shaft 3 having two ends that project through each end of the governor hole. Some embodiments have a cylindrical shaft 3, but may take any shape. The governor 1 is mounted to rotate freely about the shaft 3. In fig. 1, governor 1 is shown with its axis of rotation in a generally horizontal direction (i.e., parallel to the main axis of transmission 100).

Fig. 1, 4 and 5 can be used to illustrate how the shaft of the variator 1 can tilt in operation to shift the transmission 100. Fig. 4 depicts the transmission 100 shifted to a low gear ratio or low gear, while fig. 5 illustrates the transmission 100 shifted to a high gear ratio or high gear. Referring now also to fig. 9 and 10, a plurality of shaft supports 2 are connected to the shaft 3 near each end of the shaft 3 projecting from a bore through the variator 1 and extend radially inwardly from those connections towards the shaft of the transmission 100. In one embodiment, each shaft support 2 has a through hole to which one end of one of the shafts 3 is mounted. The shaft 3 preferably extends beyond the shaft support 2 so as to have an exposed end. In the embodiment shown, the shaft 3 preferably has a shaft roller 4 coaxially slidably disposed on an exposed end of the shaft 3. These shaft rollers 4 are generally cylindrical wheels, axially fixed to the shaft 3 distally outside the shaft support 2, and free to rotate about the shaft 3. Referring also to fig. 11, the shaft rollers 4 and the ends of the shaft 3 are seated in grooves 6 cut into a pair of fixed supports 5a, 5 b.

Referring to fig. 4, 5 and 11, the fixed supports 5a, 5b are generally in the shape of parallel discs, which are arranged annularly around the axis of the variator on each side of the power modulator 1. Each shaft roller 4 is fitted into and moves along a groove 6 cut into one of the fixed supports 5a, 5b when the shaft support 2 is moved radially from the shaft of the transmission 100 to incline the shaft 3 to change the rotation axis of the governor 1. Any radial forces (not rotational forces but transverse axial forces) that the governor 1 may exert on the shaft 3 are absorbed by the shaft 3, the shaft rollers 4 and the sides 81 of the groove 6 in the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. The fixed supports 5a, 5b are mounted on a pair of split shafts 98, 99 disposed along the axis of the transmission 100. The split shafts 98, 99 are generally elongated cylinders that define a substantial portion of the axial length of the transmission 100 and thus may be used to couple the transmission 100 to the object in which it is used. Each split shaft 98, 99 has an inner end near the middle of the variator 100 and an outer end that extends out of the inner housing of the variator 100. These split shafts 98, 99 are preferably hollow to accommodate other optional components that may function. The fixed supports 5a, 5b each have a hole 82 through which the split shafts 98, 99 are inserted and are rigidly connected to prevent any relative movement between the split shafts 98, 99 and the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. The fixed supports 5a, 5b are preferably rigidly attached to the ends of the split shafts 98, 99 nearest the center of the transmission 100. The fixed support nut 90 can be screwed onto the split shaft 99 and fastened to the fixed support 5b by means of corresponding threads of the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. The above-mentioned recesses 6 in the fixed supports 5a, 5b extend radially inwards from the outer circumference of the fixed supports 5a, 5b towards the split shafts 98, 99. In most embodiments, the groove sides 81 of the groove 6 are substantially parallel so that the axle roller 4 can roll up and down along the groove sides 81 when the transmission 100 is shifted. In addition, in certain embodiments, the depth of the grooves 6 is substantially constant at the periphery 9 of the fixed supports 5a, 5b, but the depth of these grooves 6 becomes shallower at points 7 closer to the split axes 98, 99, so as to correspond to the arc of movement of the ends of the shaft 3 as they tilt, and to increase the strength of the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. When changing the rotational axis of the variator 1 to shift the variator 100 to a lower or higher gear ratio, each pair of paired axle rollers 4 at opposite ends of the single axle 3 move in opposite directions along their respective grooves 6.

Referring to fig. 9 and 11, the fixed support wheel 30 may be attached to the axle support 2 with a fixed support wheel pin 31 or by any other attachment method. The fixed support wheel 30 is coaxially slidably mounted on a fixed support wheel pin 31 and secured with standard fasteners such as ring clamps. In some embodiments, a fixed support wheel 30 is provided on each side of the shaft 2 with sufficient clearance to allow the fixed support wheel 30 to roll radially on the concave surface 84 of the fixed support 5a, 5b when the transmission 100 is shifted. In certain embodiments, these concave surfaces 84 are concentric with the center of the governor 1.

Referring to fig. 2, 3 and 11, a plurality of elongate spacers 8 are radially distributed about and extend generally coaxially with the axis of the variator. These elongated spacers 8 interconnect the fixed supports 5a, thereby increasing the strength and rigidity of the internal structure of the transmission 100. The pads 8 are oriented generally parallel to each other, and in some embodiments each pad extends from a point on one fixed support 5a near the outer periphery to a corresponding point on the other fixed support 5 b. The spacer 8 can also be fixed precisely within the distance between the fixed supports 5a, 5b, aligning the grooves 6 of the fixed supports 5a, 5b, ensuring that the fixed supports 5a, 5b are parallel and forming a connection between the split shafts 98, 99. In one embodiment, the gasket 8 is pressed through the gasket holes 46 on the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. Although eight pads 8 are shown, more or fewer pads 8 may be used. In certain embodiments, a pad 8 is provided between two governors 1.

Referring to fig. 1, 3 and 13, in certain embodiments, the fixed support 5a is rigidly attached to a fixed support sleeve 42 coaxially disposed about the split shaft 98, or is otherwise rigidly attached to the split shaft 98 or is formed as an integral part of the split shaft 98. A fixed sleeve 42 extends through the wall of the hub 40 and is attached to the frame support 15. In some embodiments, the frame support 15 is coaxially mounted to the fixed sleeve 42 and is rigidly attached to the fixed sleeve 42. The frame support 15 in some embodiments uses a torque rod (torquerover) 43 to maintain the fixed position of the fixed sleeve 42. The torque rod 43 mechanically connects the stationary sleeve 42 and the remainder of the stationary member to the stationary support member of the object to which the transmission 100 is to be attached via the frame support 15, thereby providing rotational stability to the transmission 100. A torque nut (torque nut)44 is threaded onto the outside of the fixed sleeve 42 to hold the torque rod 43 in engagement with the frame support 15. In certain embodiments, the frame support 15 is not cylindrical in shape so as to directly (in a positive manner) engage the torque rod 43, thereby preventing rotation of the fixed sleeve 42.

For example, the frame support 15 may be a square with a thickness equal to the thickness of the torque rod 43, the sides being larger than the fixing sleeves, and a hole cut from the center thereof so that the square can be fitted over the fixing sleeves 42 and then rigidly connected. Additionally, the torque rod 43 may be a lever arm having a thickness equal to the thickness of the frame support 15, a first end proximate to the frame support 15 and a second end opposite the first end. In some embodiments, the torque rod 43 also has a hole through one of its ends, but the hole is square and is slightly larger than the frame support 15 so that the torque rod 43 can slide over the frame support 15, causing the frame support 15 and the torque rod 43 to rotationally engage. In addition, the lever arm of the torque lever 43 is positioned so that the second end extends to a frame attached to the bicycle, automobile, tractor, or other location where the transmission 100 is used, thereby overcoming any torque applied by the transmission 100 through the frame support 15 and the fixed sleeve 42. Fixed support bearing 48 fits coaxially around fixed sleeve 42 and is axially located between the outer edge of hub 40 and torque rod 43. The fixed support bearing 48 supports the hub 40 such that the hub 40 can rotate relative to the fixed support sleeve 42.

Referring to fig. 1 and 10, in some embodiments, the shifting is manually actuated by rotating a lever 10 disposed in a hollow split shaft 98. In some embodiments, a worm member 11 having a set of external threads is attached to the end of a central rod member 10 of the transmission 100, while the other end of the rod member 10 extends axially outside the transmission 100 and has external threads fixed to the outer surface thereof. In one embodiment, the worm member 11 is threaded into a coaxial sleeve 19 having mating threads such that upon rotation of the lever 10 and worm member 11, the sleeve 19 moves axially. The sleeve 19 is generally a hollow cylindrical body, fitted coaxially around the worm 11 and the rod 10, and has two ends, one close to the fixed support 5a and the other close to the fixed support 5 b. The sleeve 19 is fixed at each end to the platforms 13, 14. The two platforms 13, 14 are each generally annular in shape, have an internal diameter large enough to fit over and attach to the sleeve 19, and are shaped to have two sides. The first side is a generally straight surface which dynamically contacts and axially supports the support member 18 via two sets of contact bearings 17a, 17 b. The second side of each platform 13, 14 is convex in shape. The platforms 13, 14 are each attached to one end of the outside of the sleeve 19 so as to form an annular groove around the circumference of the sleeve 19. One platform 13 is attached to the side closest to the fixed support 5a and the other platform 14 is attached to the end closest to the fixed support 5 b. The convex surfaces of the platforms 13, 14 act as cams, each contacting and pushing a plurality of shift wheels 21. To achieve this camming action, the platforms 13, 14 preferably transition to a convexly curved surface 97 near their periphery (furthest from the split axes 98, 99), which may or may not be circular. This curved surface 97 comes into contact with the shifting wheel 21, causing these platforms 13, 14 to move axially, the shifting wheel 21 moving in a generally radial direction along the surfaces of the platforms 13, 14 to force the shaft support 2 radially out of the split shafts 98, 99 or in towards them, thereby changing the angle of the shaft 3 and the associated speed governor 1 rotation shaft. In some embodiments, the shift wheel 21 fits into a slot on the shaft support 2 at the end closest to the centerline of the transmission 100 and is held in place by the axle 22.

Still referring to fig. 1 and 10, the support members 18 are disposed in channels formed between the platforms 13, 14 and the sleeve 19, and thus move in unison with the platforms 13, 14 and the sleeve 19. In certain embodiments, the support member 18 has a generally outer diameter and is generally cylindrical along its inner diameter center with a bearing race on each edge of its inner diameter. In other embodiments, the outer diameter of the support member 18 may be non-uniform and may be any shape, such as sloped or curved. The support part 18 has two sides, one side being adjacent to one of the fixed supports 5a and one side being adjacent to the other fixed support 5 b. The support member 18 is bridged between two contact bearings 17a, 17b, so that a rolling contact is formed between the support member 18 and the sleeve 19. The contact bearings 17a, 17b are coaxially located around the sleeve 19, and the sleeve 19 intersects the platforms 13, 14, thereby enabling the support member 18 to freely rotate about the axis of the transmission 100. The sleeve 19 is axially supported by the worm 11 and the rod 10, so that by this construction the sleeve 19 can slide axially when the worm 11 positions it. When the transmission 100 is shifted, the sleeve 19 moves axially and all the bearings 17a, 17b, the support members 18 and the platforms 13, 14, which are dynamically or statically connected to the sleeve, move axially in a corresponding manner.

In certain embodiments, the lever 10 is connected at its end opposite the worm 11 to the shift pipe 50 by a lever nut 51 and a lever flange 52. The shift tube 50 is generally tubular in shape with one end open and the other end substantially closed. The open end of the shift tube 50 is of a diameter suitable for fitting over the end of a split shaft 98 extending axially outward from the center of the transmission 100. The substantially closed end of the shift tube 50 has an aperture therethrough so that the end of the rod member 10 opposite the worm member 11 can pass through the aperture when the shift tube 50 is placed on the outside of the split shaft 98. The substantially closed end of the shift tube 50 can then be fixed in axial position by a lever nut 51 fastened outside the shift tube 50 and a lever flange 52 fastened inside the substantially closed end of the shift tube 50, respectively. In some embodiments, the shift tube 50 can be rotated by a cable 53 attached to the outside of the shift tube 50. In these embodiments, the cable 53 is coupled to the shift tube 50 by the cable clamp 54 and the cable screw 56 and then wound around the shift tube 50, so that when a pulling force is applied to the cable 53, a moment is generated around the axial center of the shift tube 50, thereby rotating it. Alternatively, the rotation of shift tube 50 may be caused by any other mechanism, such as a lever, manual rotation, a servo motor, or other method of trying to rotate lever 10. In certain embodiments, when cable 53 is pulled to rotate shift tube 50 clockwise on split shaft 98, worm member 11 also rotates clockwise, so as to pull sleeve 19, support member 18 and platforms 13, 14 axially toward shift tube 50 and reverse transmission 100 to a low gear ratio. As shown in fig. 3, the worm member spring 55 connected to the end of the worm 11 may be a coned disc spring capable of generating a pressing force and a rotating force, which is disposed between the fixed support 5b and the platform 14 and blocks the transmission 100 from shifting. The worm member spring 55 is designed to bias the shift tube 50 to rotate in order to shift the transmission 100 to a low gear ratio in some embodiments and a high gear ratio in other embodiments.

Referring to fig. 1, 10 and 11, the axial movement of the platforms 13, 14 defines the shift range of the transmission 100. The axial movement is limited by the inner surface 85 on the fixed support 5a, 5b in contact with the platforms 13, 14. At very high transmission ratios, the platform 14 contacts the inner surface 85 of one of the fixed supports 5a, 5b, while at very low transmission ratios, the platform 13 contacts the inner surface 85 of the other of the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. In many embodiments, the convex radius curvature of platforms 13, 14 is operatively dependent on the distance from the center of governor 1 to the center of wheel 21, the radius of wheel 21, the distance between two wheels 21 operably connected to each governor 1, and the inclination of the governor 1 axis.

Although a left-handed threaded screw member 11 is disclosed, a right-handed threaded screw member 11, a corresponding right-handed wound shift tube 50, and any other combination of components that may be used to support lateral movement of the support member 18 and the platforms 13, 14 as just described may be used. Alternatively, the shift tube 50 can have internal threads that engage external threads on the outside of the split shaft 98. By adding this threaded engagement, the shift tube 50 will move axially as it rotates about the split shaft 98, thereby causing the lever 10 to also move axially. This can be used to enhance the axial movement of the sleeve 19 caused by the worm 11 to enhance the effect of the rotation of the worm 11 to shift gear ratios more quickly or to reduce the effect of the rotation of the worm 11 to slow the shifting process and make the adjustment of the transmission 100 more accurate.

Referring to fig. 10 and 18, manual shifting is accomplished using a rotating operating handle 132, operating lever 130 or some other structural member that may be coaxially disposed on the stationary tube. In certain embodiments, the ends of the cable 53 are connected to a cable stop 133 that is secured to the rotating handlebar 132. In some embodiments, the internal forces of the variator 100 and the conical spring 55 tend to cause the variator to shift back to a lower gear ratio. When the user rotates the rotary manipulation knob 132, the cable 53, which can be wound around the rotary manipulation knob 132 along the groove, is wound or unwound according to the rotating direction of the cable 53, while the shift pipe 50 is rotated, to shift the transmission 100 to a higher gear ratio. A set of ratchet teeth 134 may be provided in a circumferential fashion on one of the two sides of the rotary operating handle 132 to engage a mating set of ratchet teeth on a first side of a ratchet tube 135 to prevent reverse rotation of the rotary operating handle 132. A tube clamp 136, which can support an adjusting screw to provide a variable clamping force, secures the ratchet tube 132 to the lever 130. When shifting in reverse, the swing handle 132 is forced to rotate in reverse toward the lower gear ratio, causing the collet 136 to rotate in unison with the swing handle 132. A handle tube 137 disposed proximate the ratchet tube 135 on the side opposite the ratchet teeth 134 is rigidly clamped to the handle 130 by a tube clamp 138 to prevent the ratchet tube 135 from separating from the ratchet teeth 134. A non-rotatable operating knob 131 is secured to the operating handle 130 and is disposed proximate to the rotatable operating knob 132 to prevent axial movement of the rotatable operating knob 132 and to prevent disengagement of the ratchet teeth 134 from the ratchet tube 135.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in fig. 1, 9 and 11, one or more fixed support rollers 30 may be attached to each shaft support 2 by roller pins 31 inserted through holes in each shaft support 2. These roller pins 31 are of a suitable size and configuration to allow the fixed support roller 30 to rotate freely on each roller pin 31. The fixed supporting rollers 30 roll along the curved concave surfaces 84 on the sides of the fixed supports 5a, 5b facing the governor 1. The fixed support roller 30 provides axial support to prevent axial movement of the shaft support 2 and also ensures that the shaft 2 is easily tilted when the transmission 100 is shifted.

Referring to fig. 1, 12, 14 and 17, the three spoked drive discs 34 located adjacent the fixed support 5b are partially enclosed, but do not normally contact the fixed support 5 b. The driving disk 34 may have two or more spokes or may be a solid disk. These spokes reduce weight and facilitate assembly of the transmission 100 in the embodiment in which they are used, although solid discs may also be employed. The drive disk 34 has two sides, i.e., a first side in contact with the speed governor 1 and a second side facing the first side. The driving disk 34 is a generally annular disk that is coaxially mounted on its inner diameter on and extends radially from a set of internal threads or nuts 37. If the hub 40 is of the type that encloses the speed governor 1 and the driving disk 34 and is engaged with the hub cap 67, the outside diameter of the driving disk 34 is designed to fit within the hub 40. The drive disk 34 is rotatably attached to the governor 1 along a circumferential bearing surface on a lip on a first side of the drive disk 34. As described above, some embodiments of the driving disk 34 have a set of internal threads 37 or nuts 37 at the center thereof, and the nuts 37 are screwed on the screw members 35, thereby engaging the driving disk 34 with the screw members 35. The screw 35 is rigidly attached to a set of central screw ramps 90, which are typically convex surfaces on a set of annular disks coaxially disposed on a split shaft 99. These central screw slides 90 are driven by a set of central drive shaft slides 91, which are also formed on a generally annular disk. The ramp surfaces of the central drive ramp 91 and the central screw ramp 90 may be linear, but may be of any other shape and in operable contact with each other. A central drive shaft slide 91, which is coaxially and rigidly attached to the drive shaft 69, applies torque and axial forces to the central screw slide 90, which are then transmitted to the drive disk 34. A center drive tension member 92 disposed between the center drive shaft slide 91 and the center screw slide 90 generates a rotational force and/or pressure to ensure that the center slides 90, 91 contact each other.

Still referring to fig. 1, 12, 14 and 17, the axially movable screw member 35 can move axially away from the governor 1 as the annular thrust bearing 73 contacts a race offset on the side of the screw member 35 facing the governor 1. An annular thrust washer 72 coaxially disposed on the split shaft 99 contacts the thrust bearing 73 and may be pushed by a pin 12, the pin 12 extending through a slot in the split shaft 99. A pressure receiving rod 95 capable of generating pressure is provided in the hole of the hollow spindle 99 at a first end. A compression bar 95, which may be a spring, contacts the pin 12 at one end and the pin 10 at a second end. When the lever 10 is shifted towards a higher gear ratio and moved axially, it contacts the compression lever 95, pressing it against the pin 12. Once the ratio exceeds the 1:1 ratio towards high gear and the driving disk 34 rotates slower than the hub 40, the internal forces of the variator 100 displace the support member 18 towards the high ratio position. This offset pushes the screw member 35 axially so that it disengages from the nut 37 and no further axial force or torque is applied to the driving disk 34 or the force applied by the screw member 35 on the nut 37 is reduced. In this case, the percentage of axial force exerted by the peripheral runner 61 on the driving disk 34 is increased. It should be noted that once the support member 18 is in excess of the 1:1 ratio toward low and the hub 40 is rotating slower than the drive disk 34, the internal forces of the transmission 100 still bias the support member 18 toward low. This advantageous shift facilitates the shift as the speed drops and the torque increases when shifting to low.

Still referring to fig. 1, 12, 14 and 17, the axle shaft 69 is a generally tubular sleeve having two ends and disposed coaxially outside the split axle 99, with one end of the axle shaft 69 having the aforementioned central axle shaft slide 91 attached thereto and the opposite end facing away from the drive disk 34. The support plate 60 is a generally radial disk that is coaxially disposed on the drive shaft 69 and extends radially outwardly to a distance generally equal to the radius of the drive plate 34. The support disk 60 is located on the drive shaft 69 near the drive disk 34, but far enough away to allow room for a set of peripheral runners 61, associated runner bearings 62 and bearing races 64, all of which are located between the drive disk 34 and the support disk 67. In certain embodiments, the plurality of peripheral runners 61 may be concave and rigidly attached to the support disk 60 on the side facing the drive disk 34. In other words, these peripheral ramps 61 may be convex or linear depending on the use of the transmission 100. Alternatively, the bearing race 64 may be replaced by a second set of peripheral runners 97, these peripheral runners 97 also being linear, convex or concave and rigidly connected to the driving disk 34 facing the side of the supporting disk 60. These slide bearings 62 are typically a plurality of bearings, matching in number the peripheral slide 61. Each of a plurality of slide bearings 62 is located between one of the peripheral slides 61 and a bearing race 64 and is held in place by pressure exerted by the slide 61 and also by a bearing cage 63. The cage 63 is an annular ring that is coaxial with the split axis 99 and is disposed axially between the female ramp 61 and the male ramp 64. The bearing housing 63 has a relatively large inner diameter so that the radial thickness of the bearing housing 63 is only slightly greater than the diameter of the slide bearing 62 for mounting the slide bearing 62. Each ramp bearing 62 fits into holes formed in the radial thickness of the cage 63 and these holes hold the ramp bearing 62 in place with the pressure previously described. The bearing cage 63 may be guided into place by a bearing cover 60 or flange of the driving disk 34 that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the bearing cage 63.

Referring to fig. 1, 6, 7, 8 and 15, one embodiment of a support tray 60, peripheral runner 61 and runner bearing 62 is described. With particular reference to FIG. 6, this schematic shows the ramp bearing 62 and the second male peripheral ramp 97 contacting the female peripheral ramp 61. With particular reference to FIG. 7, this schematic diagram shows the FIG. 6 slideway bearing 62, the female peripheral slideway 61 and the second male peripheral slideway 97 at different torque or transmission ratios. The axial forces generated at the locations of the slide bearings 62 on the peripheral slide 61 shown in fig. 7 are smaller than the locations of the slide bearings 62 on the peripheral slide 61 shown in fig. 6. With particular reference to fig. 8, the slideway bearings 62 contacting the convex peripheral slideway 61 are shown, together with the concave second peripheral slideway 97 in a substantially central position on those respective slideways. It should be noted that the curvilinear variation of the peripheral ramps 61, 97 alters the axial force values exerted on the power modulator 1 at different gear ratios, thereby maximizing the efficiency and torque variation for different gear ratios. Many combinations of curved or linear peripheral ramps 61, 97 may be employed depending on the use of the transmission 100. To simplify handling and reduce costs, in some applications, one set of peripheral runners, such as the second set of peripheral runners 97, may be omitted and then replaced with the bearing race 64. To further reduce costs, the set of peripheral runners 61 may have a linear inclination.

Referring to fig. 1, a coil spring 65 having two ends is coaxially wound on a driving shaft 69, and one end is connected to the support disk 60 and the other end is connected to the driving disk 34. The coil spring 65 has a force to keep the drive disk 34 in contact with the governor 1 and to bias the slide bearing 62 upward along the peripheral slide 61. The coil spring 65 is designed to minimize the axial space required for operation, and in certain embodiments, the cross-section of the coil spring 65 is rectangular with a radial length greater than the axial length.

Referring to FIG. 1, the support plate 60 preferably contacts the outer hubcap bearing 66 on the side of the support plate 60 facing the opposite of the concave ramp 61. The outer hubcap bearing 66 may be a toroidal roller bearing assembly 66 disposed radially outward of, but coaxial with, the centerline of the transmission 100. The outer hubcap bearing 66 is radially disposed in contact with the hubcap 67 and the support disk 60 to enable them to move relative to each other. The hubcap 67 is generally disk-shaped with a hole in the center to fit over the drive shaft 69 and has an outer diameter such that it fits within the hubcap 40. The inner diameter of the hubcap engages an inner hubcap bearing 96 disposed between the hubcap 67 and the drive shaft 69 and maintains the hubcap 67 and the drive shaft 69 in relative radial and axial alignment with one another. Hub cap 67 may be threaded on the edge of its outer diameter so that hub cap 67 may be screwed into hub 40 to enclose most of transmission 100. A sprocket or pulley 38 or other drive train linkage, such as a gear arrangement, may be rigidly connected to the rotating drive shaft 69 to effect input rotation. The drive shaft 69 is held in a coaxial position about the split axis 99 by a tapered bearing 70. The conical bearing 70 is an annular bearing coaxially mounted about the split axis 99 and capable of rolling contact between the drive shaft 69 and the split axis 99. The conical bearing 70 may be fixed in its axial position by a conical nut 71 screwed onto the split shaft 99 or by any other fastening method.

In operation of certain embodiments, input rotation from the sprocket or pulley 38 is transmitted to the drive shaft 69, which in turn rotates the support plate 60 and the plurality of peripheral ramps 61, causing the ramp bearings 62 to roll up the peripheral ramps 61, pressing the drive plate 34 against the governor 1. The slideway bearings 62 also transfer rotational energy to the driving disk 34 as they wedge between and transfer energy between the peripheral slideway 61 and the camming slideway 64. Rotational energy is transferred from the driving disk 34 to the speed adjusters 1, which in turn rotate the hub 40 to provide output rotation and torque to the transmission 100.

Referring to fig. 16, a latch 115 is rigidly attached to the side of the drive disk 34 facing the support disk 60 and engages a first of the two ends of a hook lever member (hook lever) 113. The engagement area under the opening of the latch 115 is larger than the width of the hook 114 and provides a particularly large space for the hook 114 to move radially relative to the shaft within the limits of the latch 114 when the drive disk 34 and the support disk 60 move relative to each other. The hook bar 113 is generally a longitudinal support member for the hook 114 and has an integral hook hinge 116 at its second end, the hook bar 113, which is joined to an intermediate hinge 119 by a first hinge pin 111. The intermediate hinge 119 is integral with the first end of the driving disk bar 112 and is a generally elongated support member having two ends. At its second end, the driving disk lever 112 has an integral driving disk hinge 117, the hinge 117 engaging the hinge post 110 through the use of a second hinge pin 118. The hinge support 110 is generally a base for supporting the hook 114, the hook lever 113, the hook hinge 116, the first hinge pin 111, the intermediate hinge 119, the driving disk lever 112, the second hinge pin 118 and the driving disk hinge 117, and it is rigidly connected to the support disk 60 on the side facing the driving disk 34. When the latch 73 and hook 72 are engaged, the runway bearing 62 is prevented from rolling to areas on the peripheral runway 61 that do not provide the correct amount of axial force to the drive disk 34. This ensures that all of the rotational force exerted by the peripheral runner 61 on the runner bearing 62 is transferred to the drive disk 34.

Referring to fig. 1 and 17, a disengagement mechanism for disengaging the drive disk 34 from the variator 1 for coasting is depicted in one embodiment of the transmission 100. When the input rotation to transmission 100 is interrupted, sprocket or pulley 38 stops rotating, but hub 40 and governor 1 continue to rotate. This rotates the driving disk 34 causing the set of internal threads 37 in the bore of the driving disk 34 to wind onto the externally threaded screw 35, thereby axially moving the driving disk 34 away from the governor 1 until the driving disk 34 no longer contacts the governor 1. The rack 126 rigidly connected to the drive disk 34 on the side facing the support disk 60 has teeth which engage and rotate the gear 124 when the drive disk 34 is wound onto the screw member 35 and separated from the power modulator 1. The center of the gear 124 has a hole through which a gear bushing 121 is disposed to rotate the gear 124. A clip 125 coaxially attached to the gear hub 121 secures the gear 124 in place, although any securing means may be used. A preloader (preloader) coaxially disposed on and secured to the central drive shaft ramp 91 extends in a direction radially outwardly from the center of the transmission 100. The preloader 120, which is made of an elastic material that returns to its original shape when bent, has a first end 128 and a second end 127. The first end of the preloader 128 extends through the gear sleeve 121 and terminates at the bearing cage 63. The first end of the preloader 128 biases the bearing cage 63 and the slide bearing 62 upwardly along the slide 61 to ensure contact between the slide bearing 62 and the slide 61 and also biases the gear 124 against the rack 126. Pawl 123 engages gear 124 and, in one embodiment, gear 124 on a side substantially opposite rack 126. The pawl 123 has a hole through which is a pawl boss 122 so that the pawl 123 can rotate. A clip 125 or other fastening device secures the pawl 123 to the pawl collar 121. The pawl spring 122 biases the rotation of the pawl 123 to engage the gear 124, thus preventing the gear 124 from rotating in the reverse direction when the driving disk 34 is wound onto the screw member 35. A pawl sleeve 121 is provided at a second end of the preloader 127 for rotation in unison with the drive shaft 69.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a coil spring 65, coaxial with and disposed around the axle shaft 69, is located axially between the support disk 60 and the drive disk 34 and is connected at one end to the support disk 60 and at the other end to the drive disk 34 by pins or other fasteners (not shown). In certain embodiments, the coil spring 65 replaces the prior art coil spring to provide more force and take up less axial space, thereby reducing the overall size of the transmission 100. In some embodiments, the coil springs 65 are produced from rectangular spring steel wire stock having a radial length or height greater than an axial length or width thereof. The coil spring 65 ensures contact between the speed adjusters 1 and the driving disk 34 during operation of the transmission 100. However, once the drive disk 34 has disengaged from the governor 1, the coil spring 65 is prevented from winding around the drive disk 34, causing the gear 124 and the dog 123 to mesh such that the drive disk 34 again contacts the governor 1. When the input sprocket, gear or pulley 38 resumes rotation, the pawl 123 also rotates, thereby rotating the gear 124, thus causing the drive disk 34 to rotate and unwind from the screw member 35 due to the rotational force generated by the coil spring 65. The relative movement between the pawl 123 and the gear 124 is caused by the fact that the first end of the preloader 128 rotates at approximately half the speed of the second end of the preloader 127 because the first end of the preloader 128 is attached to the bearing cage 63. In addition, because the ramp bearings 62 are rolling on the peripheral ramp 61 of the support tray 60, the cage 63 will rotate at half the speed of the support tray 60.

Referring now to FIG. 19, an alternate embodiment of the transmission 100 of FIG. 1 is disclosed. In this embodiment, output disc 201 replaces hub 40 of transmission 100 shown in fig. 1. An output disk 201 similar to the driving disk 34 contacts the speed governor 1 and is rotated by it. The output disc 201 is supported by an output disc bearing 202 that contacts the output disc 201 and a stationary housing cover 204. The housing cover 204 is rigidly attached to the stationary housing 203 with housing bolts 205 or any other fasteners. The stationary housing 203 may be attached to a stationary object such as a frame or machine in which it is used. A gear, sprocket or pulley 206 is rigidly attached coaxially to the housing cover 204 and the output disc 201 outside the stationary housing 203. Any other type of output device, such as gears, may be used. A torsion brace 207 may be added that rigidly connects the split shaft 98 to the housing cover 204 for additional support.

Referring now to fig. 20 and 21, an alternative embodiment of the transmission 100 of fig. 1 is disclosed. A fixed support race 302 is added on the side of the fixed support 5a facing away from the regulator 1 and engages with the fixed support bearing 301 and the rotating hub race 303 to maintain the fixed support 5a in correct alignment with respect to the rotating hub 40. The torsion brace 304 is rigidly connected to the fixed support 301 and may then be rigidly connected to an external fixed component to prevent rotation of the fixed supports 5a, 5b during operation of the transmission 300. An axle shaft bearing 306 is provided at the end of the axle shaft 69 facing the speed governor 1 and engages an axle shaft race 307 formed at the same end of the axle shaft 69 and a split race 305 formed on a radially projecting portion of the split axle 99 to provide additional support to the axle shaft 69 and to properly position the axle shaft 69 relative to the fixed supports 5a, 5 b. In the embodiment utilizing the configuration shown in FIG. 20, a dynamic seal (not shown) is employed between the inner diameter of the hubcap 67 and the location on the drive shaft 69 adjacent thereto, since the two components often rotate at different speeds. The seals may be used to minimize the amount of dust and debris that enters the rotating hub 40.

Referring now to fig. 22 and 23, an alternative disconnect mechanism 400 of the transmission 100 of fig. 1 is disclosed. The gear 402 is coaxially disposed on a hub 408 and is held in place with a clip 413 or other fastener to enable it to rotate. A sleeve 408 is coaxially disposed on a first end of a preloader 405 having a first end and a second end (both ends not separately shown in fig. 22 and 23). The preloader 405 is resiliently clamped around the central drive shaft slide 91. A first end of the preloader 405 extends to the bearing cage 63, biasing the bearing cage 63 upwardly along the peripheral slide 61. Further, a lever member 401 is provided on the hub 408, rotates around the hub 408, and supports a gear pawl 411 and a pinion pawl 409. The gear dog 411 engages the gear 402 to control its rotation and is disposed over a gear sleeve 414 pressed into the aperture of the lever member 401. The gear dog spring 412 biases the gear dog 411 against the gear 402. A pinion pawl 409 disposed substantially opposite the gear pawl 411 on the lever member 401 is coaxially disposed on a pinion pawl boss 415 fitted into another aperture of the lever member 401 to rotationally move the pinion pawl 409. Pinion pawl spring 410 biases pinion pawl 409 against pinion 403.

Referring now to fig. 1, 22 and 23, the pinion 403 has a hole in the center and is coaxially disposed on a first of two ends of a rod 404 of a rod (rod lever). The bar lever member is an elongated lever member that engages the pinion pawl 409 during coasting until the sprocket, pulley or gear 38 resumes input rotation. As the support disk 60 rotates, the support disk pin 406 fixed to the support disk 60 contacts the second end of the bar-shaped lever member 404, thereby pressing the bar-shaped lever member 404 against the drive disk pin 407 rigidly connected to the drive disk 34. This action forces the first end of the bar-type lever member 404 to swing away from the gear 402, thereby temporarily disengaging the pinion gear 403 from the gear 402, causing the gear 402 to rotate. The lever hook 401 is attached to the lever member 401 and contacts a latch (not shown) on the drive disk 34 and is thus pushed back when the coil spring 65 biases the drive disk 34 to unwind and contact the governor 1. During the interruption of the input rotation of the sprocket, pulley or gear 38 and the continued rotation of the speed governor 1, the drive disk 34 is wound onto the screw member 35 and separated from the speed governor 1. As the drive disk 34 rotates, the drive disk pin 407 disengages from the bar-type lever member 404, and then the pinion 403 swings into contact with the gear 402, thereby preventing the drive disk 34 from reengaging the governor 1.

Referring to fig. 24 and 25, components of an alternative set of axial force generation devices 500 of the transmission 300 of fig. 20 are disclosed. When rotated by the input sprocket, gear or pulley 38, a splined drive shaft 501 rotates the support disk 60, which may have a recess 505 in its bore to receive and engage the splines 506 of the splined drive shaft 501. A central drive shaft slide 508 is rigidly attached to the support disk 60 or the splined drive shaft 501 and rotates a central screw slide 507, both of which have holes through the splines 506 of the splined drive shaft 501. The central tension link 92 (shown in fig. 1) is disposed between a central drive shaft slide 508 and a central screw slide 507. A grooved screw member (grooved screw)502 having a grooved end and a bearing end rotates with the central screw slide 90 and has grooves 505 at its bearing end that are wider than the splines 506 on the splined driveshaft 501 so that a gap is formed between the splines 506 and the grooves 505. The clearance between the splines 506 and the grooves 505 facilitates relative movement between the fluted screw member 502 and/or the bearing disc 60 and the splined driveshaft 501. When the fluted screw 502 is not rotated about the central drive shaft slideway 508 and central screw slideway 507, the splines 506 of the splined drive shaft 501 contact and rotate the grooves 505 on the fluted screw 502 and the fluted screw 502 is rotated. An annular screw member bearing 504 contacts a race on the bearing end of the grooved screw member 502 and is positioned to support the splined driveshaft 501 and grooved screw member 502 relative to the axis of the split shaft 99. The bore of the fluted screw member 502 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the splined driveshaft 501, thereby enabling axial and rotational relative movement of the fluted screw member 502. The screw member conical race 504 contacts and engages the annular screw member bearing 503 and has a bore perpendicular to its axis to allow insertion of the pin 12. The pin 12 engages the rod 10, and the rod 10 may push the pin 12 and axially move the fluted screw 502 to disengage the nut 37 or reduce the axial force applied thereto.

Referring to fig. 26, an alternative separation apparatus 600 to the separation apparatus 400 of fig. 22 and 23 is disclosed. The lever member 401 is modified to eliminate the T-shape for mounting the pinion pawl 409 and the gear pawl 411 so that the new lever member 601 has only the gear pawl 411 attached thereto. The second lever 602 has a first end and a second end. The pinion pawl 409 is operatively connected to a first end of the second lever member 602. The second lever member 602 has a first hole through which the first end of the preloader 405 is inserted. The second lever 602 is rotatably mounted on a first end of the preloader 405. The second lever member 602 has a second hole at its second end through which the second end of the preloader 603 is inserted. When the rotation of the sprocket, gear or pulley 38 is interrupted, the drive disk 34 continues to rotate forward and is wound onto the screw member 36 until it is separated from the governor 1. The first end of the preloader 405 is rotated forward causing the pinion pawl 409 to contact the pinion 403 and rotate it clockwise. This causes the gear 402 to rotate counterclockwise, causing the gear dog 411 to ride over one or more teeth of the gear 402, securing the drive disk 34 and preventing it from backing off the screw member 36 to contact the governor 1. When rotation of the sprocket, gear or pulley 38 is resumed, the second end of the preloader 603 rotates, contacting the second end of the second lever member 602, causing the pinion pawl 409 to rotate out of the pinion 403 to disengage therefrom, thereby enabling the drive disk 34 to unwind for re-engagement with the governor 1.

Certain specific modifications and advantages of the invention will now be described where appropriate to the disclosure. It should be noted that not all of these improvements must be found in all embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a current improvement in some embodiments includes providing a variable axial force to the driving disk 34 to accommodate different loads or applications. This may be achieved by using multiple axial force generators. Axial forces may be generated by the translation of the associated central drive shaft ramp 91 and screw element ramp 90 between screw element 35 and nut 37 to peripheral ramps 61, 64. That is, the screw member 35, the central ramps 90, 91 and the peripheral ramps 61, 64 may collectively generate an axial force. Additionally, the axial force at the peripheral runners 61, 64 may be variable. This may be achieved by using variable pitch and declination ramps, including concave and convex ramps. Referring to fig. 1 and 6-8, and the foregoing detailed description, an embodiment is disclosed wherein fixed to support tray 60 is a first set of peripheral ramps 61, which may be concave, with ramp bearings 62 in contact therewith. Opposite the first set of peripheral runners 61 is a second set of peripheral runners 97 that are attached to the drive disk 34, which may be convex, and that are in contact with the runner bearings 62. The use of concave and convex ramp contact ramp bearings 62 facilitates non-linearly increasing or decreasing the axial load on the drive disk 34 as a function of the position adjustment of the governor 1 and the support member 18.

Another improvement in certain embodiments includes direct engagement (positive torque producing) of the support disks 60 and the drive disks 34 to provide greater rotational drive and constant axial thrust in certain gears of the torque drive. This can be achieved, for example, by using a combination of a hook 114 and a latch 115, as described above with reference to the embodiment shown in fig. 1, wherein the hook 114 is attached to a bearing cage 63, the bearing cage 63 housing the slide bearing 62 between the drive disk 34 and the support disk 60, and the latch 115 is attached to the drive disk 34, the drive disk 34 engaging the hook 114 when the slide bearing 62 reaches its respective limit position on the slide surface. While this configuration is provided as an example, it should be understood that the hook 114 and latch 115 may be attached to the opposing members described above, or that many other mechanisms may be employed to achieve this direct engagement of the support plate 60 and the drive plate 34 at the extreme positions of the slide bearings 62.

A further improvement of some embodiments over previous designs is that the drive disk 34 has radial spokes (not separately shown) which reduces weight and facilitates assembly of the transmission 100. In certain embodiments, the driving disk 34 has three spokes equidistant from each other, enabling the use of the hook 114 and latch 115, among other components.

Another refinement of certain embodiments includes the use of threads 35, such as acme threads, for moving the driving disk 34 axially upon relative rotational movement between the driving disk 34 and the support disk 60. Referring to the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the externally threaded screw member 35 may be threaded onto a set of internal threads 37, i.e., nuts 37, in the bore of the driving disk 34. This enables the drive disk 34 to disengage from the speed governor 1 when the drive disk 34 discontinues providing input torque, for example, when coasting or rolling in neutral, and also facilitates providing more or less axial force to the speed governor 1. In addition, the externally threaded screw member 35 is also designed to transmit axial force to the driving disk 34 through a set of internal threads 37.

Yet another improvement over some embodiments of the prior invention is an improved method of shifting a transmission to a higher or lower gear ratio. Also, referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the method may be accomplished by using a threaded rod 10, for example comprising a left-handed threaded worm 11 and a corresponding right-handed threaded shift tube 50, i.e., sleeve, which is remotely operated by a cable 53 or remote motor or other remote control device. On the other hand, left-hand threads may be used for the worm 11 and shift tube, or a non-threaded shift tube 50 may be used, and any combination thereof may be used as appropriate to affect the shift rate of the transmission 100 relative to the rate of travel of the shift tube 50. Additionally, a conical spring 55 may be employed to assist the operator in maintaining the proper shift tube 50 position. The worm 11 is preferably fitted with a threaded sleeve 19 to axially align the support member 18 so that the support member 18 will move axially when the worm 11 is rotated.

Another improvement over some embodiments of the prior invention is a disengagement mechanism for the transmission 100. The disengagement mechanism enables reverse rotation of the input sprocket, pulley or gear 38 and also enables the transmission 100 to coast in neutral by disengaging the drive disk 34 from the variator 1.

The above description details certain embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Also as noted above, it should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the aspects or features of the invention with which that terminology is associated. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be construed in accordance with the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a plurality of speed adjusters, each having a tiltable axis of rotation, and each arranged radially outward from the longitudinal axis;

a drive disk that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a first point on each of the governors and has a first side facing the governors and a second side facing away from the governors;

a driven disk that is circularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a second point on each governor;

a generally cylindrical support member that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a third point on each of the governors;

a support disk annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and adapted to provide a rotational force to the drive disk;

at least two axial force generating devices located between the drive disk and the support disk, each axial force generating device configured to apply an axial force component to the drive disk, thereby improving contact of the drive disk with the speed governor; and

a plurality of central ramps comprising a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps and providing torque to at least one of the at least two axial force generating devices.

2. The transmission of claim 1, wherein the axial force component generated by each of the at least two axial force generating devices varies as the transmission is shifted.

3. The transmission of claim 1, wherein the axial force is greater in a set of low gear ratios than in a set of high gear ratios for a corresponding change in gear ratio.

4. The transmission of claim 1, wherein the at least two axial force generating devices collectively generate an axial force toward the drive disk.

5. The transmission of claim 1, wherein the at least two axial force generating devices generate the axial forces individually, and wherein one of the at least two axial force generating devices generates substantially all of the axial force applied to the drive disk in the high gear ratio and a second of the at least two axial force generating devices generates substantially all of the axial force applied to the drive disk in the low gear ratio.

6. The transmission of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two axial force generating devices comprises a nut attached to the drive disk bore and a screw member generally cylindrical and disposed coaxially about the longitudinal axis to engage the nut.

7. The transmission of claim 6, wherein the screw member has a set of external threads adapted to engage a set of internal threads on the nut in a manner that allows the screw member and the nut to move axially relative to one another without rotating.

8. The transmission of claim 6, wherein the screw member has a surface facing the speed adjusters and has an annular bearing race thereon adapted to receive thrust from the thrust bearing to bias the screw member away from the speed adjusters.

9. The transmission of claim 7, wherein the center ramp set contacts the screw member causing the screw member to generate an axial force that is exerted on the drive disk.

10. The transmission of claim 9, wherein the center ramps are all at the same angle.

11. The transmission of claim 9, wherein the axial force generated by the center ramp set is transmitted to the drive disk through a screw and nut.

12. The transmission of claim 9, further comprising a tension member disposed between the set of central drive shaft ramps and the set of central screw ramps adapted to maintain the engagement of the central drive shaft ramps and the central screw ramps.

13. The transmission of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two axial force generating devices is a set of peripheral ramps attached to the support disk adapted to generate an axial force that is transmitted to the drive disk.

14. The transmission of claim 13, further comprising a set of generally annular ramp bearings contacting the peripheral ramp and disposed between the support disk and the drive disk, wherein the set of annular bearings is adapted to transmit axial forces to the drive disk.

15. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a plurality of governors, each having a tiltable axis of rotation and disposed radially outward from the longitudinal axis;

a plurality of central ramps including a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps, contacting the screw members and adapted to assist the screw members in transferring axial and rotational forces to the drive disk; and

and a separating mechanism disposed between the support disk and the drive disk and adapted to separate the drive disk from the speed governor.

16. The transmission of claim 15, wherein the disengagement mechanism comprises at least one gear and at least one pawl adapted to prevent rotation of the drive disk onto the speed adjusters until an input force is applied to the transmission.

17. The transmission of claim 16, wherein the disengagement mechanism comprises at least two pawls.

18. The transmission of claim 15, wherein the disengagement mechanism includes a nut attached to the inner bore of the drive disk and a screw member, generally cylindrical, disposed coaxially about the longitudinal axis for engaging the nut, wherein the drive disk rotates the nut to engage the screw member, thereby disengaging the drive disk from the speed adjusters.

19. The transmission of claim 15, wherein the disengagement mechanism includes a preloader having first and second ends and disposed coaxially about a longitudinal axis of the transmission, and wherein the first end of the preloader supports the at least one gear and engages the bearing cage while being adapted to rotate about the longitudinal axis at a different rotational speed than the second end of the preloader, which second end supports the at least one pawl thereby enabling relative movement between the at least one pawl and the at least one gear to engage them, which is adapted to prevent the drive disk from engaging the speed adjusters until an input force is applied to the transmission.

20. The transmission of claim 19, wherein the preloader applies a clamping force to the rigidly connected components thereof.

21. The transmission of claim 20, wherein the preloader has a cross-sectional profile at its inner diameter that provides radial stability.

22. The transmission of claim 21, wherein the preloader is generally rectangular in cross-section.

23. The transmission of claim 19, wherein the disengagement mechanism includes a nut attached to the inner bore of the drive disk and a screw member, generally cylindrical, disposed coaxially about the longitudinal axis for engaging the nut, wherein the drive disk rotates the nut via the central ramp to engage the screw member, thereby disengaging the drive disk from the speed adjusters.

24. The transmission of claim 15, further comprising a coil spring adapted to engage the drive disk with the speed adjusters upon transmission of input rotation to the transmission.

25. The transmission of claim 23, wherein the screw member and the nut have left-handed threads that rotate clockwise relative to the transmission as viewed from opposite sides of a support disk facing the speed adjusters.

26. The transmission of claim 23, wherein the screw member and the nut have right-hand threads that rotate clockwise relative to the transmission as viewed from opposite bearing disks facing the speed adjusters.

27. The transmission of claim 23, wherein the screw is adapted to apply an axial force to the drive disk.

28. The transmission of claim 15, wherein re-rotation of the transmission causes the nut to rotate relative to the screw, thereby forcing the drive disk to contact the speed adjusters.

29. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a driven disk that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a second point on the governor;

a support disk annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and adapted to transmit rotational force to the drive disk;

a support member that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis, contacts a third point on the governor, and is adapted to move toward the lower rotating drive and driven discs;

30. The transmission of claim 29, wherein the drive disk has a plurality of radial spokes disposed between a center of the drive disk and a periphery of the drive disk.

31. The transmission of claim 29, wherein the support member is adapted to be pulled toward a relatively high transmission ratio when it is located adjacent a side of the speed adjusters facing the drive disk.

32. The transmission of claim 29, wherein the support member is adapted to be pulled toward a relatively low gear ratio when it is closer to a side of the speed adjusters facing the output disc.

33. The transmission of claim 29, wherein the support member is adapted to pull toward a relatively low gear ratio when the transmission is passing a 1:1 gear ratio toward low.

34. The transmission of claim 29, wherein the support member is adapted to pull towards a relatively high gear ratio when the transmission is passing a 1:1 gear ratio towards high gear.

35. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a support member that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a third point on the governor;

a support disk annularly rotatable about said longitudinal axis and adapted to transmit rotational force to the drive disk; and

a plurality of central ramps comprising a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps and providing torque to at least one of the at least two axial force generating devices; and

a coupling assembly having a hook and latch is adapted to engage the drive disk and the support disk.

36. The transmission of claim 35, wherein the latch is adapted to provide limited radial movement of the hook relative to the longitudinal axis when there is relative movement between the drive disk and the support disk.

37. The transmission of claim 35, wherein the hook is coupled to the support disk and the latch is coupled to the drive disk.

38. The transmission of claim 35, wherein the attachment of the support hook has at least one hinge.

39. The transmission of claim 35, wherein the hook and latch engage and limit relative movement between the bearing disk and the drive disk.

40. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a plurality of ball governors, each having a tiltable shaft and an aperture through the center thereof, and each disposed radially outward from the longitudinal axis;

a plurality of generally cylindrical shafts having two ends, one of the shafts being positioned within the bore of each of the governors;

a plurality of axle supports having a platform end and an axle end, wherein two axle supports are provided for each axle, and wherein the axle end of each axle support is operably engaged with one of the two ends of one of the plurality of axles;

a plurality of fixed support wheels, wherein at least one fixed support wheel is rotatably connected to the shaft end of each shaft support;

a support disk annularly rotatable about said longitudinal axis and adapted to transmit rotational force to the drive disk;

a plurality of central ramps comprising a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps and providing torque to at least one of the at least two axial force generating devices;

a generally cylindrical support member that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a third point on each of the governors; and

and annular first and second fixed supports each having a first side facing the speed governor and a second side facing away from the speed governor, each of the first and second fixed supports further having a concave surface on the first side, wherein the first fixed support is located near the driving disk and the second fixed support is located near the driven disk.

41. The transmission of claim 40, wherein the concave surfaces of the first and second fixed supports are concentric with the center of all of the speed adjusters and the ends of the shaft are guided along the concave surfaces by the fixed support wheels as the transmission is shifted.

42. The transmission of claim 40, further comprising a surface disposed radially inward from each fixed support concave surface, wherein the surface is configured to limit radial movement of the end of the shaft, thereby limiting a transmission ratio of the transmission.

43. The transmission of claim 40, wherein the two stationary supports further comprise a plurality of radial grooves corresponding to radial travel paths for each shaft end, wherein the end of each shaft is inserted through the shaft support into the associated groove, and wherein each stationary support wheel rollingly engages a respective concave surface adjacent the respective groove.

44. The transmission of claim 40, further comprising a plurality of axle rollers, wherein each axle roller is coaxially disposed on an end of one of the axles extending out of the axle support, and wherein the axle rollers rollingly engage the grooves to guide the axles as the transmission is shifted.

45. The transmission of claim 44, each of the grooves further comprising first and second vertical sides, wherein each of the plurality of axle rollers configured to rollingly engage an associated groove of the first fixed support engages the first vertical side of the groove at a relatively high gear ratio and engages the second vertical side of the groove at a relatively low gear ratio.

46. The transmission of claim 44, each of the grooves further comprising first and second vertical sides, wherein each of the plurality of axle rollers configured to rollingly engage an associated groove of the second fixed support engages the second vertical side of the associated groove at a relatively high gear ratio and engages the first vertical side of the associated groove at a relatively low gear ratio.

47. The transmission of claim 40, further comprising a plurality of pads having a longitudinal axis and two ends, wherein the pads are adapted to interconnect the fixed supports, thereby maintaining the orientation of the first fixed support relative to the second fixed support.

48. The transmission of claim 47, further comprising a plurality of apertures in each fixed support, wherein each aperture is adapted to receive insertion of one of the two ends of one of the pads.

49. The transmission of claim 48, wherein the apertures are substantially curved and each end of each pad is adapted to be inserted into a respective one of the apertures.

50. The transmission of claim 47, wherein each pad is positioned such that the axis of each pad is equidistant from the axes of rotation of at least two of the speed adjusters.

51. The transmission of claim 40, further comprising:

a plurality of platform wheels rotatably connected to the platform ends of the shaft support;

first and second platforms, typically annular discs, coaxial with the longitudinal axis and disposed on either side of the support member, and each having a platform side facing away from the support member, wherein the platforms each have a convex surface on their platform side, and wherein each platform wheel is configured to rollingly engage one of the convex surfaces, such that axial movement of the platforms causes the transmission to shift gears.

52. The transmission of claim 51, wherein each platform wheel is secured to a platform end of one of the plurality of shaft supports in a slot formed in the platform end of the shaft support adapted to mount the platform wheel.

53. The transmission of claim 40, wherein each axle support has at least three apertures formed therethrough such that each axle support is adapted to support one of the axles, at least one of the fixed support wheels, and one of the platform wheels.

54. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a plurality of shaft supports having a platform end and a shaft end, wherein each shaft is provided with two shaft supports, and wherein the shaft end of each shaft support is operably engaged with one of the two ends of one of the plurality of shafts;

a generally cylindrical support member that is annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and contacts a third point on each governor;

a set of central ramps comprising a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps and adapted to cooperate with at least two axial force generating means to transmit axial and rotational forces to the drive disk;

a first fixed support having a first side facing the governor and a second side facing away from the governor, and having a concave surface on the first side;

a second fixed support having a first side facing the governor and a second side facing away from the governor, and having a concave surface on the first side; and

a coil spring disposed between the support disk and the drive disk and adapted to engage the drive disk with the speed governor when input rotation is transmitted to the transmission.

55. The transmission of claim 54, wherein the coil spring has a cross-section wherein a radial length of the coil spring is greater than an axial thickness of the coil spring.

56. The transmission of claim 54, wherein the coil spring has a substantially rectangular cross-section.

57. The transmission of claim 54, further comprising:

a generally tubular split shaft coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the variator and having a threaded end;

a rod having first and second ends and disposed coaxially within said split shaft;

a worm member connected to a first end of said member and having a set of external threads;

a sleeve for changing the transmission ratio of the transmission, having a set of internal threads which mate around and mesh with the external threads of the worm member; and

a shift tube engaging the second end of the lever and having a set of internal threads fitting over and engaging the split threaded end, wherein rotation of the shift tube causes axial movement of the sleeve and a corresponding change in gear ratio.

58. The transmission of claim 57, further comprising a worm member spring adapted to bias rotation of the lever member.

59. The transmission of claim 58, wherein the worm spring comprises:

a conical spring having a first end and a second end, wherein said worm spring is coaxially mounted on the longitudinal axis of the variator and is connected at the first end to said rod and at the second end to a fixed target.

60. The transmission of claim 57, further comprising a remote operated shifting device comprising:

a rotatable operating handle;

a tether having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is engaged with said operating handle and said second end is engaged with said shift tube, and wherein said operating handle is adapted to apply a pulling force to said tether, and wherein said tether is adapted to effect rotation of said shift tube upon the application of the pulling force.

61. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

at least two axial force generating devices located between the drive disk and the support disk, wherein each axial force generating device is adapted to apply an axial force to the drive disk;

a plurality of central ramps comprising a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw ramps and operatively connected to at least one of said axial force generating devices; and

a generally cylindrical drive shaft having an outer diameter surface, wherein said drive shaft is operatively configured to transmit torque to the drive disk.

62. The transmission of claim 61, wherein the outer surface of said drive shaft has longitudinal splines attached to a portion thereof.

63. The transmission of claim 61, further comprising:

a generally tubular screw member coaxial with the longitudinal axis and having a threaded outer surface and a first end portion facing the governor, the first end portion having a bearing race on an inner diameter thereof; and

an annular bearing disposed in operable contact with and coaxial with the race on the first end of the screw member and disposed axially adjacent the first end of the screw member.

64. The transmission of claim 63, wherein the bearing is adapted for axial movement.

65. The transmission of claim 63, wherein the screw member has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the drive shaft and engages around the drive shaft such that the bearing provides support for the screw member and the drive shaft.

66. The transmission of claim 63, wherein the screw is rotatable relative to the drive shaft.

67. The transmission of claim 63, further comprising an inner surface of a longitudinal groove on a screw member, and wherein the splines of the drive shaft are adapted to engage the groove, thereby rotating the slotted screw member.

68. A continuously variable transmission having a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a drive disk that is rotatable annularly about the longitudinal axis and contacts a first point on each governor;

a support member annularly rotatable about the longitudinal axis and axially disposed between the governors;

a support disk which is rotatable annularly about said longitudinal axis;

a set of annular bearings located between the drive disk and the support disk, transmitting rotational and axial forces from the support disk to the drive disk, and held in annular and radial orientation by the bearing cage;

a plurality of central ramps including a set of central drive shaft ramps and a set of central screw member ramps and adapted to provide torque to the central portion of the drive disk through the central screw members; and

a disengagement mechanism disposed between the support disk and the drive disk and adapted to disengage the drive disk from the speed governor, the disengagement mechanism comprising:

at least one gear;

at least one pawl adapted to engage the at least one gear,

at least one lever member adapted to engage said at least one pawl with said at least one gear wheel; and

a preloader having first and second ends, being a resilient clamping support for the at least one gear and the at least one dog, wherein the preloader is coaxially arranged around a longitudinal axis of the variator and wherein the first end of the preloader supports at least one of the at least one gear, engages the bearing housing and is adapted to rotate about the longitudinal axis at a different rotational speed than the second end of the preloader, which supports at least one of the at least one dog, thereby enabling relative movement between the at least one of the at least one dog and the at least one of the at least one gear to enable engagement thereof to prevent the drive disk from engaging the variator until an input force is applied to the variator.

69. The transmission of claim 68, further comprising two pawls and two gears.

70. The transmission of claim 68, wherein the at least one lever member rotates about an axis defined by the preloader first end.

71. The transmission of claim 68, further comprising a second lever member that rotates about an axis defined by the preloader second end.